Thursday, August 11, 2016

If bird species were competing in the Olympics who do you think would come out on top? I've compiled a small list of winners if there were bird Olympics.

1. Equestrianism - Originally a bison-following bird of the
Great Plains, the Brown-headed Cowbirds learned to ride along with
cowboys to feed on weed seeds and insects that cows and horses stir into
movement.
2. Running - The fastest-running bird is the ostrich which can run up to 43 mph. The road runner runs about 12 mph.
3. Marathon - The Arctic Tern makes the longest migration each year, flying 20,000 to 25,000 miles each year from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again.4. Gymnastics - Woodpeckers' acrobatics in
trees and on feeders is good practice for when they need to flip away
from predators.
5. Fastest flyer - The peregrine is the fastest bird on record reaching horizontal cruising speeds of 65-90 mph.
6. Highest flyer - Rüppell's griffon vulture once collided with
an airplane off the Ivory Coast in 1973 at 37,000 feet. A migrating
Bar-headed Goose was once seen over the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal at
roughly 28,000 feet.
7. Fencing – Hummingbirds can fly right, left, up, down,
backwards, and even upside down. When hummingbirds compete for nectar
and insects they perform duels with their long blade-like bills as
weapons.

8. Swimming - Gentoo Penguin found on the Antarctic Islands are the fastest underwater swimming penguins, reaching speeds of 25 miles per hour.
9. Diving – The Thick-Billed Murre
is known as one of the deepest diving birds in the world. They have
been known to dive up to 330 feet as they chase down their aquatic prey.
10. Synchronized Swimming - With the salt flats all to
themselves, these flamingos perform a synchronized dance in the water
and in the process, choose their mates. Watch the video: https://youtu.be/CUb0evFZbNM